This invention relates generally to an overlay tray for sorting and storing transparency slides and, more particularly, to such a tray adapted to be stacked on a similar tray and adapted to permit a slide to be tilted out of its normal position.
Illuminated transparency viewers, or light boxes, commonly have a light source for providing a strong uniform light on a translucent surface to enable negatives, transparencies, slides, and the like, to be conveniently examined. Typically, such viewers are employed for editing or sorting and sequencing of such transparencies and slides. For example, the user may pick out and remove slides that are deficient in coloring or he may select slides relating to a single subject and arrange those slides in desired order for use with a projector. A preferred form of such a transparency viewer is shown in my copending applications, Ser. Nos. 868,982, 868,983, 868,984 and 868,985, all filed Jan. 12, 1978.
In the prior art, overlay devices or trays have been designed to overlie the translucent viewing surface of the illuminated viewer and provide support for slides. Some overlays have been formed from a sheet of transparent or translucent material having a sawtooth cross section, so as to provide a series of shelves or ledges with the edges of the slides selectively placed in side-by-side relationship in longitudinal rows. One problem encountered with such prior overlay trays is that they contain no provision for storing or transporting slides while they are retained in the tray. Thus, it is likely that the slides may be inadvertently dislodged from their selected locations, if the trays are moved or accidentally bumped.